Railway signal-torpedo.



. VAN GUNDY;

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 3| 1914. MM50,

1B 8148 ATENT FFlQE.

CHARLES P. VAN GUNDY, OF CATONSVILLE, MARYLAND.

RAILWAY SIGNAL-TORPEDO.

Application filed January 3, 1914.

To all whom z' may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES P. VAN GUNDY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Catonsville, in the county ofBaltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Railway Signal-Torpedoes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in railway signal torpedoes, andmore particularly to that class thereof adapted to be secured upon arail a nd to be exploded by the wheel of a train.

i" The objects of my invention are: First, to provide a torpedo in whichthe explosive charge is securely held and wrapped in a single piece ofpaper, or other suitable nonflying material, andl said paper is sodistributed about the charge that the possibility of moisture passinginto the charge is eliminated. Second, to provide a torpedo in which thewrapper is so cut and scored that a single blank is capable of being'quickly folded `and uniformly distributed about the charge, and thefastening strip is securely attached to the torpedo and removed from theZone of dispersion of the explosive. Third, to provide a torpedo whichis of the simplest and safest form, easily and cheaply manufactured, andof long life without deterioration, and readily secured to a rail.Fourth, other advantages and objects of the invention will appear fromthe detailed description to be hereinafter given.

The invention consists of structural features and relative arrangementsof the elements which will be hereinafter more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings in which similar reference characters indicate the sameparts in the several figures of drawing, Figure 1 is a blank from whichthe torpedo is formed; Fig. 2 is a blank of a modified form; Fig. 3 isanother blank of a modified form; Fig. 4 is a side view of a section ofrail with completed torpedo attached; Fig. 5 is a perspective of theexplosive lcharge within the torpedo; and Fig. 6 is a perspective viewof the torpedo.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 represents a blank of any suitablenon-iiying material, such as tough paper, which is provided near itsupper edge with preferably Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916. serial No. 810,109.

two horizontal scores 2 tical scores 4 and 5, and a central score 6, andside cuts 7 and 8, thus dividing the blank into small rectangular uppersections 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, central sections 15, 16 and 17, andlower sections 18, 19 and 20. rThe manner of forming the torpedo fromthe blank shown in Fig. 1 is as follows: The torpedo charge 21, as shownfor example in Fig. 5, is placed on the central section 16, sections 15,12 and 9 are folded on line 5 until they rest upon sections 16, 13 and10, respectively, then sections 17, 14 and 1l are folded on line 4 uponsections 15, 12 and 9, respectively. Sections 18, 19 and 20 are thenfolded on scored line 6, and the section 19 is folded upon and securedby any suitable adhesive to the back of section 17. The'section 20 isfolded on the scored line 4 and secured to the other or back side of thesection 16 from that of sections 15 and 17. Section 18 is folded on line5 down upon and secured to the back side of section 20. The'fasteningstrip 22, of lead Or other' suitable material, is then placed centrallyupon the back side of sections 12, 13 and 14, and the sections 9, 10 and11 are folded on line 2, respectively, over on the fastening strip 22and on sections 12, 18 and 14, and on the same side as sections 18 and2O now appear. Superposed sections 9, 10, 11 and 12, 13 and 14 are thenfolded on the central 4section of line 3 over on the upper portions ofsections 15, 16 and 17. After the sections are folded as aboveindicated, into the form as shown in Fig. 6, a staple 23, or otherfastening means is passed through the sections 9, 10, l1, 12, 13, 14,15, 16 and 17, in their folded position, and the fastening strip 22, anda finished torpedo, as shown in Fig. 6, is produced. During the aboveoperations any suitable adhesive may be applied to any of the contactingfaces of superposed sections and the whole cartridge maybe dipped in anysuitable water-proofing composition, such as shellac, gum, or asphaltum,if so desired.

l/Vhile the preferred manner of making the torpedo is to place thefolded sections 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 on the same side of the torpedoin order to be enabled to engage the upper edges of the folded sections18 and 20, I do not limit myself to this particular arrangement.

To apply the completed torpedo to the and 3, and two vertrack, all thatis necessary, is to place the torpedo fiat on top of the rail, as shownin Fig. 1, with the ends of the fastening strip bent under the head ofthe rail and with the fastening strip nearest to the point of approachof the train, so that the wheel moving in the direction of the arrow a,will first grip the fastening strip before passing over the torpedoproper, and cartridge. It will also be seen that by attaching thefastening strip on the end as shown, the possibility of the explosion ofthe cartridge scattering the Vmetal of the fastening strip, iseliminated.

1n the form of blank shown in Fig. 2, `the invention is substantiallythe same as that sho-wn in Fig. 1, with regards to they scores, cuts andsections, with the exception that instead of the cuts 8 and 7 -beingseparated by a score 6, as shown in Fig. 1, the cut 7 and score 6 haveexchanged positions, and the cuts S .and 7 are adjacent each other, andthe score 6 is on the outside, as sho-wn in Fig. 2. In the use of the.blank shown in Fig. 2, after the cartridge has been placed on section16, sections 9, 12, and 15 are folded cn score 5 upon sections 10, 13and 16, and then sections 17, 141 and 11 are folded on score 4 upon thetop of `or back of the sections 15, 12 and 9, respectively. Section 20is then fclded on score 6, on the back of section 16, section 19 isfolded on score 4 on the back of section 17 and section 18 is folded onscore 5 upon the back of section 20. The sections 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and11 in their folded positions are folded on the folded position of thescore 3, after the fastening strip has been properly placed, and theoperations again carried out as explained in the directions withreference to the blank shown in Fig. 1.

In the blank shown in Fig. 3 the arrangement of cuts, scores andsections, is similar to that shown in Fig. 2, with the exception thatthe blank is reversed, and another series of sections 24, 25, 26 and 27,and scores 2, 3, 4 and 5, have been added, as indicated. In the useofthe blank shown in Fig. 3, the cartridge is placed on section 17,sections 24, 25, 26 and 27 are folded on score 4: on sections 20, 17 141and 11, respectively. Sections 16, 13 and 10 are folded on score si., sothatI sections 16, 13 and 10 rest upon the backs of sections 25, 26 and27, respectively. Sections 15, 12 and 9 are then folded cn score 5 sothat they rest upon the backs of sections 17 14 and 11, respectively.Sections 21 and 2O in their folded position, and face to face, are thenfolded on the registering scores 5 and 6, until the back of section 24rests against the back of section 16, then the section 19 is folded onscore 4 until the back of section 19 rests on the back of section 15,and the back of section 18 is then folded on the score 5 against theback of section 20. The sections 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 26 and 27 intheir folded positions are then folded on the scores 2, 2', 3 and 3 aspreviously explained, after the fastening strip 22 has been pro-perlyplaced.. 1t will be understood that adhesive material may be appliedbetween the sectic-ns during the folding operations, in order to firmlysecure the same together.

From the foregoing disclosure of forming the blank and folding the sameabout the section of explosive, it will be seen that all the material inthe blank is utilized to evenly distribute the paper about theexplosive, and at the same time have a closed and tight bottom toprevent the explosive from dropping out, and `firmly securing thefastening strip for the torpedo, and seal the free ends of the foldedblank by one operation or securing means.

While 1 prefer to attach the fastening or securing strip 22 by means ofthe uppermost sections 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, in their foldedposition, as herein described, and have found the same expedient andcheap to manufacture, it will be readily understood that the fasteningstrip 22 could be secured tothe container with the use of only one ofthe sections 12, 13 or 11, or without the use of any of these sections,as by simply passing the fastener or staple 20, through the fasteningstrip 22 and the upper portions of the sections 15, 16 and 17. Of courseit will be also understood that the explosive charge of the torpedo maybe in a solid or powder form, and inclosed in any suitable envelop, ifso desired, before being inclosed in the single piece wrapper.

1. A railway or like torpedo comprising a single rectangular piece ofpliable sheet material scored to divide said sheet intova plurality ofupper and a plurality of lower rectangular sections, one of said lowersections being separated from and independent of the upper sections andattached to a lower section, and a lower section attached to an uppersection, said Vupper sections folded upon each other and the lowersections folded upon and around the upper sections, thereby forming acontainer with a plurality of superimposed layers of said material and aclosed bottom, a suitable explosive material within the container, andsuitable means attached to one end of the container for holding thetorpedo on the railway track.

2. A railway or like torpedo comprising a single rectangular piece ofpliable material scored to divide said sheet into more than two upper,more than two central and more than two lower rectangular sections, twoof said lower sections being cut or separated from the central sections,and the other lower sections attached to the central sections, saidcentral sections folded upon each lia other, and the lower sectionsfolded upon of the sheet when folded for holding the torand around thecentral sections, thereby pedo on the railway track. 10 forming acontainer having its sides formed In testimony whereof I afX mysignature of a series of superimposed layers of said in presence ot' twowitnesses.

pliable material and a closed bottom, a suit- CHARLES P. VAN GUNDY.

able explosive material within the container, Witnesses:

and a pliable strip at one end of the con- HARRY C. MICHAEL,

tainer and surrounded by the upper sections W. M. STEDMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

